0:00:03 > 0:00:07Across the country empty properties that could be homes are just waiting
0:00:07 > 0:00:09to be brought back into use.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11I'll be finding out why
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18And along the way I'll be doing some digging of my own to find out
0:00:18 > 0:00:21more about our housing stock, our heritage
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and why we should be both reinventing and preserving
0:00:24 > 0:00:25Britain's empty homes.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Empty properties left in a state of disrepair can blight
0:00:34 > 0:00:37an otherwise picturesque street. But for people with vision
0:00:37 > 0:00:42and ambition, these abandoned buildings have enormous potential.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Plus, buying an empty shell can be
0:00:44 > 0:00:47a way into an area you might otherwise not be able to afford.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50On today's show...
0:00:50 > 0:00:54an adventurous couple who've started their married life by buying
0:00:54 > 0:00:58a rundown house they hope to turn into their dream family home.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00You're kind of feature-rich in here.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Yeah. It's all intact. At the moment it's just about all intact.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09A regeneration project dedicated to reviving one of London's most
0:01:09 > 0:01:11historic buildings.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13After that long period of time, 50 years,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15where they weren't occupied by tenants,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17it's great to have them lived in again.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And one of Britain's Empty Property Officers
0:01:21 > 0:01:24is on the case of bringing abandoned buildings back into use.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28It's improved the building 100%, hasn't it, really?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's perfect. It's exactly what we wanted.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Newlyweds Samuel and Helen Scharf had long hoped of moving up
0:01:38 > 0:01:41the property ladder and thought their best chance of buying
0:01:41 > 0:01:44a detached house in an area they loved was to rescue
0:01:44 > 0:01:48an abandoned building they could turn into their dream home.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51We had our heart set on Histon because it's a lovely village.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54It's close to Cambridge for our work
0:01:54 > 0:01:56and we had tried to move here,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00tried to bid for a few houses, but unfortunately weren't successful.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04So we kept looking and finally managed to find somewhere
0:02:04 > 0:02:07that we could afford and we could do what we wanted to it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12The house was in such a decrepit state that during the nine months
0:02:12 > 0:02:16it took the owners to sell it, it was classified as uninhabitable.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21It needed a lot of work, but that, we felt, gave us an opportunity
0:02:21 > 0:02:25to at least actually move here.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29When we first saw the house it was in a really sorry state.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Unfortunately there was quite a lot of mess and dirt everywhere.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35It wasn't really liveable.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40As well as the mess, the house had no water or heating when Samuel
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and Helen took a leap of faith
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and bought it for just over ?317,000.
0:02:45 > 0:02:52The plan is to keep the current house in its old state, 1930s style,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56and at the same time we're looking to build a two-storey modern
0:02:56 > 0:03:00extension out the back to give that sort of contrast.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04The couple are brimming with ideas, and even though they don't
0:03:04 > 0:03:08have children yet they are both keen to get the house family ready.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13We have space for a family room, and in my eyes I see kids' toys
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and lots of storage and maybe the piano.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19And Sam sees this really hi-tech centre.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22He calls it the Hub, the Learning Zone.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25My ideas are to have interactive whiteboards,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27to have everything you would dream of
0:03:27 > 0:03:30maybe within a small school in one room.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Well, hopefully they can agree on a family room
0:03:34 > 0:03:37because builders start work on the house in just two weeks.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44I'm keen to see for myself just what they've taken on
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and hopefully help them with their next step in the process.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So this is your place. How long have you had it?
0:03:52 > 0:03:54We've had it eight months now.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57It's got this lovely light brick, quite typical of the Cambridge area.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00That is what attracted us to the house, really.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04The design and the features of the two bricks and the contrast.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Very nice. Shall we go in and have a look? Yep. Great.
0:04:09 > 0:04:15Samuel and Helen have a healthy renovation budget of ?155,000
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and they've already stripped back the interiors to reveal some
0:04:19 > 0:04:20original 1930s features.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Right, this is lovely, isn't it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27So, front room, and immediately my eyes are drawn to features.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32You're kind of feature-rich in here. Yes. Feature-rich. It's all intact.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34At the moment it's just about all intact.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36What happens next?
0:04:36 > 0:04:38What do you want this to be and how are you going to lay it out?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41This is going to stay virtually exactly as it is once we've
0:04:41 > 0:04:47done it up, and keep it as a front room, a traditional front room.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49So we are not knocking through this wall at all,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52but there is another room that's a similar size that we are going
0:04:52 > 0:04:54to make into a family room.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59I'm quite keen to make it an open study, learning area. OK.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03For myself, Helen and the future family.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Helen, is that very much Sam's dream, the e-learning zone?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I was originally thinking of a more traditional family room,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11so, more somewhere...
0:05:11 > 0:05:14A playroom, I suppose, with a piano, where the kids
0:05:14 > 0:05:17could play with their toys. That kind of thing.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Let's come back to why you chose the house.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22That's what you're looking for, something of this size. That's it.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25This was kind of a really good way of getting the size of the house,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29a good-sized garden, that we wanted for the budget that we could afford.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32So you really appreciate the benefit of an empty property
0:05:32 > 0:05:34as a way into this neighbourhood.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37It was the only way we could get into this neighbourhood. Fantastic.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Let's see some more, shall we?
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Samuel and Helen are novice renovators and they both need to
0:05:43 > 0:05:46be clear what they want from a house and what their vision is.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Here we are at the back of the house. Nice light coming in.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51What's the plan? What are you going to do back here?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53We are going to knock all of this out
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and build our new kitchen-diner out into the garden.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Oh, right.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Now, what happens with the kitchen?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Is it going to snake around in an L-shape to that room?
0:06:01 > 0:06:05We are keeping the kitchen and diner to this area, the new build.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And it's actually a slightly tricky space.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10We're not really sure what we're doing with it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's the access to the kitchen from the front of the house,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15but we're not sure whether to use it as storage
0:06:15 > 0:06:17or whether to have a downstairs toilet there,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and exactly where to have that, so it's a bit up in the air.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22So what style is the new extension going to be in?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26We've decided to keep it quite modern at the back.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29You can really see it's an extension. We're not trying to hide anything.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31We're honest with it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And we really like the modern style contrasting with the 1930s.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38I think you're right. Houses are books written in many chapters.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It doesn't all have to be when it was first published.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You can add chapters later and show that it's a later edition.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I'm sure you'll get something to your taste.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Upstairs the house already boasts three bedrooms with another one
0:06:53 > 0:06:55to be added as part of the extension.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And in the back garden the potential is evident.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Guys, when you come out here you can really see what a garden you've got.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04It's huge!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07We're really lucky, and that was part of the draw for buying this house.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10But it was funny because we didn't actually know how big it was
0:07:10 > 0:07:12when we first got here
0:07:12 > 0:07:15because it was overgrown with bramble all the way up here.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So we had no idea how far it went.
0:07:18 > 0:07:24You looked on Google Earth to try and work out exactly what size it was.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Looking ahead, it's a big project.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28It's going to be a very hectic six months ahead.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30You're both working full-time as well as doing this.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32What are your concerns about the project?
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It's really hard when you haven't lived somewhere first, to know
0:07:35 > 0:07:38how you're going to use the space.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41We're trying to think ahead, planning a family and those kinds
0:07:41 > 0:07:44of things and how you're going to use the house with children there and...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Yeah. It's really hard to know
0:07:46 > 0:07:49exactly what we want to do with each room, really.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50There's a few unknowns.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52You're planning for a family you don't have yet.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55You're building a new space and how do you fill it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57It's going to be really useful for you to meet a couple
0:07:57 > 0:08:01who've been through this and done a complete renovation, including extending the house.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03So plenty to look out for, lots of inspiration.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It's also a really good chance to get some last-minute advice
0:08:06 > 0:08:10before your builders roll in. Fantastic. Does that sound good?
0:08:10 > 0:08:11Sounds good, yeah. Yeah. Great.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21This is a fantastic place, but a very daunting project.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23The builders are arriving in just under two weeks
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and yet there are still quite a few unknowns.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Plans aren't completely finished and, on top of that, how do you
0:08:29 > 0:08:33make the best use of space in an extension you can't yet visualise,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and how do you plan a family home when you haven't yet got a family?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Many, many questions. It's going to be really good for them
0:08:39 > 0:08:40to meet a couple who've done this.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43They have extended their home, they have got a family and, hopefully,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47they can answer some questions and give some really top-notch advice.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Bringing Britain's abandoned housing stock back into use isn't
0:08:51 > 0:08:53just about gaining a foot on the property ladder.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It's also about keeping history alive.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Britain has some tremendous stately homes and historic residences,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and yet often overlooked are some smaller buildings tucked
0:09:05 > 0:09:07away in their grounds.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09But if those places are carefully managed
0:09:09 > 0:09:12they can bring some unexpected benefits to the site as a whole.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19I'm in south-west London to meet Sian from the Fulham Palace Trust.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22She's involved in restoring the palace
0:09:22 > 0:09:23so we can all enjoy its beauty,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and to do that the Trust has to come up with a clever way
0:09:26 > 0:09:28of generating money, by renovating
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and renting out two smaller,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35dilapidated buildings in one of the capital's most historic sites.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Sian, tell me about the history of Fulham Palace.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The site first came into record in 704,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45when the Bishop of London bought it from the Bishop of Hereford.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48And we don't think the Bishop lived here for another 500 years.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52But after that it was continuously occupied until 1973,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54when the last bishop left.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55It's hard to believe now,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57with the planes queueing up for Heathrow,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and the built-up roundabout, that this was once in the countryside.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04At that time, Fulham was countryside.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06A lovely rural retreat outside London.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08And what happens when the Bishop of London moved out?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11What happened from the '70s onwards?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The local authority, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, took it over then
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and ran it for the next few years until 2011, when the Trust took over.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21What state were these buildings in from the '70s onwards?
0:10:21 > 0:10:22Were some of them sitting empty?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25From the period 1973 onwards, and probably
0:10:25 > 0:10:29before that as well, it's quite a big property for the Bishop to live in.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It started to get derelict in places
0:10:32 > 0:10:35and remained like that for the first few years that the council ran it.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37It's now fully occupied, right?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The upper floors of the building that were derelict
0:10:40 > 0:10:42are now occupied by office tenants.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And there are a couple of properties that
0:10:44 > 0:10:46have only just been renovated?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49We've got two cottages at the entrance to the site
0:10:49 > 0:10:50which were restored last year.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Fantastic. Can we have a look? Yeah.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54The palace has been open to the public
0:10:54 > 0:10:59since 2006 and is expensive to run and restore.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02So to help raise funds the Trust has recently renovated two other
0:11:02 > 0:11:04historic, but smaller, buildings on the site
0:11:04 > 0:11:08which are now home to some lucky tenants.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Sian, tell me about the history of these two buildings.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13The pink lodge was built in 1815.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17It's called Gothic Lodge because of the style of architecture.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And that was built when the Bishop started coming here by road
0:11:21 > 0:11:23rather than by river.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27So there needed to be somebody at the gate to let people in and out.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29And what about the other building here?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31The other building is Coachman's Lodge
0:11:31 > 0:11:33that would have been occupied by the coachman.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35So initially driving a horse and carriage
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and then later on driving the Bishop's car.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40How long have they been empty for?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They haven't been used as residential accommodation for about 50 years,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46so they've been used as offices and for storage.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So they were not in great condition internally or externally.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52So people are actually going to be living here?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55We've got tenants living in both of them now, yes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Wow! They moved in in August 2012.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Quite an unusual place to live, isn't it?
0:12:00 > 0:12:01It is. It has its advantages.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It's quiet and peaceful and of course very beautiful.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08How important is the money raised, then, from rent?
0:12:08 > 0:12:13The palace costs about ?1 million a year to run, and the rental income
0:12:13 > 0:12:17from these lodges and also the office tenants is about a third of that.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19So it's essential income for us.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And how satisfying is it - these buildings are meant to be lived in -
0:12:22 > 0:12:24to see people here again?
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Well, after that long period of time, 50 years,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29where they weren't occupied by tenants,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31it's great to have them lived in again.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Fantastic. Well, look, thank you very much was showing me around.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39What I really love about this project is not just that these
0:12:39 > 0:12:41buildings have been brought back to life,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43but that they now have purpose.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46They are lived in again as they were always intended to be,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50and the income generated in turn will help support this site
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and the Trust for many years to come.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It's not just big organisations who are inspired to revive
0:12:57 > 0:12:59abandoned buildings.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02People right across the UK are taking on the challenge
0:13:02 > 0:13:06of bringing derelict dwellings back into use.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Over in Derbyshire, trained architect Nigel Turner
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and his wife Amanda have done just that.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15They were in the market to buy a new home in or around Derby,
0:13:15 > 0:13:20but it turned out the ideal spot was closer than they'd realised.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Well, I was pastor of a church round the corner from here,
0:13:23 > 0:13:28and we were living in tied accommodation with that job.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And we started to think about whether we should buy a property.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36So, being crazy Christians, we thought, "Where would Jesus live?"
0:13:36 > 0:13:39And we thought he'd live in the worst part of town
0:13:39 > 0:13:44because that's the sort of person he is, or was, rather.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46So we thought, "That's where we should live."
0:13:46 > 0:13:47So we found this place.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51In fact, Nigel and Amanda took this sentiment literally
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and opted to buy a former stable.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Dating back to 1870,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00the building was more recently used as a pair of lock-up garages, but it
0:14:00 > 0:14:05was located in a rundown area long viewed as a no-go zone by locals.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Being an architect, I look at buildings a lot
0:14:07 > 0:14:12and I've got something inside me when I see a building,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I always see opportunity when I look at a building.
0:14:15 > 0:14:21I never see something which is impossible. Anything can change.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I was quite happy, quite excited. I like derelict buildings.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29I think it's really exciting to bring new life to dead things. So...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32The garages came with a price tag of ?20,000,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36but in reality there was a lot less there than they'd realised.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38It didn't have a roof and it didn't have any services.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41There was no water, no electricity, no gas.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44The windows were not really there. There wasn't a staircase.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49There was no proper external door. Yeah, it was four walls, really.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Getting planning approval was a big step,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54because we had to get a change of use on the building.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56It didn't have any residential use.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So that was a bit of a challenge,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02but when that came through that was very encouraging.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Once they had planning permission in place,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08they set out on a renovation that would cost ?56,000
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and dominate their lives for the coming years.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14The builder was here for about six months,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18but then the actual project took two and a half years
0:15:18 > 0:15:21because the builder just did the main structural work, the shell,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24as it were, and then we took over
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and project managed all the interior trades.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32So we just took it nice and easy and did it at a leisurely pace.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34One of the things we worked really hard at
0:15:34 > 0:15:38when we were planning the house was to make every inch of space count,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40because it is such a small place.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44So, often, in a space like the landing under the stairs,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46they serve more than one function.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49There is storage, you can sit there and we try
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and make the most of the space that we've got.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Having seen the renovation through, they've no regrets
0:15:56 > 0:16:00and enjoy the benefits of living in such a unique home.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02One of my favourite things about living here is
0:16:02 > 0:16:04the reaction of younger people, our sons'
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and daughters' friends as they come through the door.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09If they've not been before it's always, "Oh, wow!"
0:16:09 > 0:16:12For Nigel and Amanda, reviving this abandoned building
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and turning it into a modern family home has given them
0:16:15 > 0:16:19as much pleasure as they now get from living in it.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23To actually come and do this one was really exciting, to see it
0:16:23 > 0:16:25transformed and come alive again.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27As you look around, things can look really awful,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31but there are some really beautiful houses hiding under all
0:16:31 > 0:16:35the decay and dereliction, so it was nice to do something like that.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40But not all Britain's abandoned buildings are rescued and renovated.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44In the south-east alone there are over 30,000 vacant dwellings,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and it's down to the Empty Property Officers to restore
0:16:48 > 0:16:51the fortunes of our forgotten homes.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54In Thanet, Kent, Andy Emmerson is visiting a building that's
0:16:54 > 0:16:59been a blight on the local neighbourhood for over three years.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02This property used to be a hotel,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04but unfortunately the building started
0:17:04 > 0:17:06to be used as a house in multiple occupation.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09The council were getting quite a lot of complaints about the level
0:17:09 > 0:17:12of accommodation and also issues in terms of the quality of living
0:17:12 > 0:17:14standards within the building.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17It's obviously attracted anti-social behaviour
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and the property became empty.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The council bought the old hotel at auction in 2011
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and embarked on turning it back into its original state -
0:17:27 > 0:17:32two separate family homes, which the council will use for social housing.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Andy's come to make sure the project is progressing
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and is up to the council's exacting standards.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Pat. Andy. It's good to see you. And you.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I kind of expected the scaffold to be down
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and the windows to be in, to be honest.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49That's the windows, unfortunately.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52It's taken longer to get the style of the timber window to the street.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It's been quite difficult to get the UPVC windows to work.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57It's signed off and agreed now,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59but we are three weeks late on manufacture, unfortunately.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01But it's going to be worth it in the long run.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Obviously, you had an awful lot of external works done to the front
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and the back. Shall we have a look how that's gone? It's incredible.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Turning this place from one large residence with loads of small rooms
0:18:13 > 0:18:17into two good-sized family homes has been no mean feat,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20but this is a fantastic transformation.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Bedroom. A nice big room. Yeah, it is.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27You've got skirting boards going on now, plasterboard.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Again, we've still got the windows. No windows, yeah.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Once we get the windows in place in a couple of weeks,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37we can drop the scaffold. That will enable us to put new services in.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And we hope to be out in about nine weeks.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42We need to look at the extension, I think,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44because that's a long way behind schedule.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Let's go and look in the garden. Excellent, thank you.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Outside, the old three-storey extension
0:18:50 > 0:18:53has been completely demolished and the team
0:18:53 > 0:18:57is working on a less imposing and family friendly living space.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Mind your head. It's a nice big garden. Yeah, nice aspect, isn't it?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Yeah. Imagine it's going to have a nice slate roof
0:19:05 > 0:19:08to match the main roof. It's a massive difference.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13In spite of all the delays and everything, the windows
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and things, what is still left to do on the building?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's all about putting it all back together now.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Finish doing the rendering, put the roof on the new extension,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and it will be nice and watertight.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's improved the building 100%, hasn't it, really,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31to be honest? Considering what it was. Going back to two houses.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's perfect. It's exactly what we wanted.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Andy is satisfied with the progress, but he's eager to find out
0:19:37 > 0:19:40how the project has affected the rest of the street.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Now we are going to speak to one of the neighbours, who had an awful
0:19:43 > 0:19:45lot of problems when it was empty and derelict,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47to see what his opinion is of it now.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Hi, Mr Turner. Hello, there. I'm Andy Emmerson, from Thanet Council.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Yeah, obviously,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I've come to see what you think about the property next door.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01It's nearing completion. I think it'll be quite nice.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05We've had unwelcome visitors there as well,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09people trying to break in, smashing windows and all that.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13And also they stole a gas meter and left the gas on. Really?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15And, for yourself, they had a big extension at the back.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18We took that down. Has that improved your outlook?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It's much better for the light into the windows.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The back of the house is much brighter than it was before.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It makes it more pleasant. We don't use as much electricity. HE LAUGHS
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Thank you very much for your time. All right, thank you.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Nice to meet you. And you. Bye.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Well, I was very happy with that site visit.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Obviously, we need to get the details right on the windows in order
0:20:39 > 0:20:41for it to fit in with the street scene much better.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44But hopefully by nine weeks we'll be having an opening ceremony.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47We'll be able to get families back in there and local residents
0:20:47 > 0:20:49will be invited so they can see what the project's been all about.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52If you wish to find an empty property,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55there are many ways to pick one up.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Keep in regular contact with local estate agents and auctioneers.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Try friends and families. They are often a great source of information.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Or get in contact with your local Empty Property Officer.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Back in the village of Histon, near Cambridge, I'm with Samuel
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and Helen Scharf, who've taken on an abandoned house
0:21:15 > 0:21:19and have lots of questions about how they can turn it into a family home.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21I'm going to introduce them
0:21:21 > 0:21:25to a couple who revived a similar building with surprising results.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Right, guys, this is the place I want you to see.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It's quite impressive. First impressions?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Lovely. Really, really nice. Yeah.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Can you tell from looking at it that it's been extended?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38From the side, yeah.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41You can get a sneaky peek of a very modern extension, which is
0:21:41 > 0:21:43really nice. What about the front?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Other than just looking smart and tidy, it's not...
0:21:46 > 0:21:48A window and a door
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and two windows, that's how it originally was.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52They also extended out the sides. Oh, wow!
0:21:52 > 0:21:55All right, let's go and find out how they did it, shall we? Brilliant.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56OK, come on.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Richard and Emma Fuller hadn't planned on taking on a house
0:22:03 > 0:22:07in need of so much work, but when they spotted this Victorian
0:22:07 > 0:22:11detached home online something about it captured their imagination.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15When we first saw the property,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19I couldn't believe the state it was in. It was really rundown.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24But we loved the feel of the space of the whole plot.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26But once they became the proud owners of the house,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30the enormity of the project became clear.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It didn't have any central heating.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34All the electrics had to be redone
0:22:34 > 0:22:36because it was all old-fashioned wiring.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Looking back, I don't think we really realised what a project
0:22:41 > 0:22:42we were taking on.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's only now when I tell people the story of taking the whole
0:22:45 > 0:22:46back of the house down brick by brick
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and people sort of look at me like I'm a bit crazy,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53that you look back and think, "Wow, that was quite a big deal."
0:22:53 > 0:22:56This labour of love for Richard and Emma has paid
0:22:56 > 0:23:00dividends as they now live in the house of their dreams.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03But a renovation of this size is rarely straightforward.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08I think the hardest part was trying to do so much of it ourselves
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and both of us working full-time.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Knowing what we were doing, the project,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18the garden and the long-term vision, was what kept us going.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22I have to say, now that the house is built and we're living here,
0:23:22 > 0:23:23I absolutely love it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27It's all been worthwhile. We high-five each other.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30"Look what we did. Look at this. We did this."
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Yeah, we do sometimes have a sad moment, don't we? Yeah.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Richard and Emma's experience and enthusiasm will hopefully give
0:23:38 > 0:23:41the Scharfs a real insight into what they can hope to achieve.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46First up, a room Samuel in particular should find interesting.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47Tell me about this room.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51There's a few things in here I think will raise your eyebrows slightly.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Tell me, Richard, what's the idea of the room?
0:23:53 > 0:23:55This is my man cave.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58I say my man cave, but this is probably the kids' favourite room.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02They like to come in here and put a film on on a Sunday afternoon.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Very good. What do you make of it, guys?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07It's pretty much what I had laying in my head at the moment.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11It's got the technology, it's got the beanbags...
0:24:11 > 0:24:12LAUGHTER
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Can't go wrong. Absolutely not. It looks great.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Let's see some more, shall we? After you.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Emma and Richard turned this downtrodden Victorian house
0:24:23 > 0:24:27into a stunning home, complete with modern extension,
0:24:27 > 0:24:33five bedrooms and a spacious kitchen and family room.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Is this the sort of thing you guys are thinking of
0:24:35 > 0:24:39when you say clean and modern and...? Absolutely.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40It's exactly what we were after.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46A really nice, modern, airy extension on the back of an old house.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48It's everything we have been trying to plan
0:24:48 > 0:24:50for the last few months, really.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52How do you get the vision right?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It's all very well working with plans, but how do you
0:24:54 > 0:24:57kind of know when it's built it's all going to feel right?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We just took our plans and tried to get inside them as much as possible.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06So we literally cut out sofas and tables and chairs and tried
0:25:06 > 0:25:11things in different spaces, to work out what felt right.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Did you have any particularly tricky areas that you just couldn't
0:25:14 > 0:25:18quite work out or a space you weren't sure how to use?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21This area for me, I wanted it bigger,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25because it just feels a little bit narrow.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And that's a compromise with... What's behind this wall, then?
0:25:27 > 0:25:31There's an enormous utility room, but that would have... Yeah...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34With three children and a dog, I wanted a big boot room,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36rather than a small utility room.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Just thinking - boot room, children and dogs and things.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43You're planning on this family,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45you're not quite sure what you will need,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but you have this slightly mystery space near your downstairs loo.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I wonder if that's a way out to the garden there or a cloakroom
0:25:51 > 0:25:53or something like that. Possibly.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56If we do have a utility room, that could be used as a boot room.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It has a door leading out to the garden, so that would work.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Is there anything you'd advise against or anything that you'd
0:26:03 > 0:26:06do differently? There are little things.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Nothing that anybody would notice. Just maybe the odd light switch.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Or the odd light itself. My advice would be just plan, plan, plan.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The more you can work out if it's the right place for a light switch
0:26:17 > 0:26:20or if it makes sense if a door opens that way,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24the more it will flow when you actually build it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Yeah, very good. Thank you, guys.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28It's been amazing to see around the place
0:26:28 > 0:26:29and thank you for some great advice as well.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Thank you very much. Thanks.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Emma and Richard took an abandoned building and created a family home
0:26:35 > 0:26:38that otherwise they may not have been able to afford.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Hopefully, this visit has given
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Samuel and Helen a sense of what's ahead.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I've got a feeling this place was kind of to your taste.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48How have you found it? It's been perfect.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's been really, really good to see a project that is similar,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55in the sense that it's an old house, new extension
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and similar taste to what we like, which is fantastic.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Obviously, the unknown is the family and how you plan a family home.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Some ideas here and also some reassurance that you're not
0:27:04 > 0:27:06alone in wanting a gadget room.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08It was remarkable when we
0:27:08 > 0:27:11walked into something that was literally in my head.
0:27:11 > 0:27:18And that it's a valid thing to do, I think. It's not overly ambitious.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19There are still bits on your plan
0:27:19 > 0:27:22you're not quite sure what you're going to do with.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I suppose the advice there was just plan, plan, plan.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I know it sounds quite simple, but Richard saying about cutting
0:27:27 > 0:27:30out furniture on paper and literally moving it around the room.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Actually, that's a really good idea.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34We could just do that with the unknown space
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and see if there's a way we can make it work.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Well, I'm pleased this place is so well suited. Thank you.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I'm pleased it's worked out and that you've got a great, great home,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and it's going to be an incredible place once you've finished it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48The very best of luck. I hope it finishes on time.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Thank you. Thank you.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58I'm really pleased that Sam and Helen could see this place.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00It's never easy to have an extension,
0:28:00 > 0:28:01especially to an old property,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05but here it's been done brilliantly, so they are going away with loads of
0:28:05 > 0:28:09inspiration, loads of advice on how to create that perfect family space.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11And I'm sure before very long
0:28:11 > 0:28:14that's what they'll transform their empty property into.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd